Day 84--Augustine

I am so proud of Mary! She has learned the philosophy of Augustine, all in Italian! She has a very pushy, moody teacher who is intimidating, and he interrogates his students verbally. She and several classmates were late to class because the absolutely worst teacher in the school kept them late for her class. So, Mary and these other students were late to philosophy. Despite the prof being mad, Mary performed exceedingly well in her interrogation. I cannot believe that she has developed such strength of character, will and intellect.

Day 83--Beautiful!

I took a hike around the vineyards today. It was so beautiful it took my breath away. Poppies are growing wild among the vines. Who will ever see them? And yet they are so radiant? I want to go see them again tomorrow just to make sure someone appreciates them before they fade!

Day 82-Birthday in Roma

    I had a jewel of a day on my 48th birthday. I went into Rome and hopped on the 64 bus. I jumped off at Piazza Navona and walked to Sant Agostino. I prayed there for a long time--it was glorious. I loving being there with Monica and at the shrine of Rita!
    Then I went to the hair salon--whew!
    Then I walked around for hours and then met up with Ron for dinner. What a pleasure to eat outside with him under the stars! We went home to a lovely party the kids threw--a midnight birthday bash. Everyone was in rare form, laughing and playing.
   I must be the most blessed person in the world.

Day 81--First Mass

We went to Mass for the first time in almost 3 months! We had family prayers that night and discussed what it was like for us. Everyone in the family had their own take on what was so enjoyable about it. It is interesting to hear from teenagers and children what the Eucharist means to them. Truly beautiful! My favorite comment from our fifteen year old was, "It's like home!"

Day 80--Paradise

I spent the day with Ron. We spent the afternoon talking about theology outside with the birds chirping and the sun shining, kids running around all over the place, playing with Italian kids in the area. This is a man who stole my heart. He is so kind and loves us all so well. I am the most fortunate person I know.

Day 79-Roma Mi Piace!

When Rome is virtually empty, it's a photographer's paradise! Romans are out and about, and there is no one else. . . 

Day 78--Out and About!

Today we are venturing into ROME! I can't believe it! I hope we stay out till midnight! Just walking around, even if most things are closed, will be such a breath of fresh air!

The kids are suffering these last weeks of school. All the Italians cheat like crazy, and our kids do not but then look worse because their grades are still low (the teachers assume everyone cheats and so who can still fail if they are cheating?). The kids are very, very frustrated with our poor internet connection and school blues. But it will be over soon!

Day 77--Sor Capanna

Ron and I had the most delightful day! We went to campus on business, and then had a lovely time on the patio visiting with friends and colleagues. It was the first time I have been without any of the 6 kids in 77 days. Then we went to get dinner at our very favorite restaurant ever, Sor Capanna in Castel Gandolfo. To our great surprise, they had outdoor dining! So we sat and ate like kings (and queens). Then we brought pizzas back for the kids, and I ate half of Sebastian's! I felt like the "Very Hungry Caterpillar": "That night, she had a stomachache!"
   Heavenly!

Day 77--Kant

   I am positively amazed that Jacob just had a philosophy test on Immanuel Kant! In Italian! How do you say "transcendental idealism" in Italian?

Day 76--Wild Outing

Who knew that going to the grocery store could be so much fun? I volunteered to go with Ron, just to have a little fun with him, and we took Annie and Sebastian (that was bold! Haven't been able to do that for 75 days). We even went to a larger store a little further away. I was so excited that they had a section for school and office supplies--it has been 2.5 months since we've been able to buy a pencil. They also had a small clothes and shoes section, like Walmart. Annie got nightgowns and Sebastian got converse knock-offs. They were over joyed. Who knew that going to the store could be so exhilarating?

Day 75--Learning Spanish

Leigh is positively amazing to me. She is in middle school here in Italy, all courses in Italian. She is also taking Spanish class, which involves learning Spanish from Italian instruction--no small thing! Then, to make matters almost funny, she is taking up German! She got Duo Lingo and studies German in her spare time. An incredible linguist! She told us at dinner tonight she hopes to enter the Classico program in high school so that she can study Latin and Greek. 

   That's my girl!!!!

Day 74--The Eucharist as a Sacramental Sign

   One of the things I have learned in my Eucharist class at the Angelicum is that I know almost nothing about the word "sign" and how it is used theologically, but that it is very rich and I am so intrigued. Thomas Aquinas says that all sacraments are "signs," and that these are "sacred secrets." This is so beautiful--a sacred secret! (ST. III.60.1)
    A sign is something that represents something else. A Byzantine icon, for example, mediates a heavenly presence. The sacramental notion of sign is that the sign is where God invites us to find union with Him. Signs guide Israel's worship of Him. For example, the sabbath, it says in Exodus 31, is a "sign forever between [God] and the people of Israel that in 6 days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the 7th day he rested." When a Jew observes the sabbath, he or she enters into that sign and grows in intimacy with God. All throughout the Scripture, God uses "signs" as to how to relate to God. The Gospel of John is called "the book of signs" and Christ is often called "a sign" although I have not explored that yet. One way I am thinking of it is to say that "God speaks the language of signs." We have to learn to read and understand signs, or we will never relate to God.
    Interestingly, "signum" in Latin (word for sign) is synonymous with "symbolum" which in Greek is "symbolein." In Greek it means "to yolk together." This is explored by Avery Dulles, a Cardinal who used to teach at Fordham when Ron and I were there. This is the big moment for me when I think, "Yes, God yolks us to Him through signs." So that means that you need to find signs, God's signs, if you want to be close to him.
   Another example is marriage. Marriage, especially open to life marriage, is a sign of the Trinity. It is reflective of God's total self-gift among the Persons of the Trinity. Marriage can be a "sign" of God's love.
   I think that, different from sacramental signs, we can find signs in nature that are ways to find union with God. Poverty is a kind of sign--not a sacramental sign, because those are instituted by Christ. But Anthony in the Desert left comfortable Alexandria and went to the desert to find God--by participating in the poverty of Christ. For him, poverty was a "sign."
   I believe that motherhood also has the chance to be a "sign": a vocation in which to enter into the "being emptied out" for another person, as Christ was in his Passion and death (Philippians 2:6). I also believe that adoptive motherhood has a high "sign value," in being able to reflect the blessing of human life.
   I would like to explore this much further, and the non-sacramental notion of sign. Are there things that have "sign value" that are not about relating to God? But that are about becoming your best self, becoming fully human? I will let you know when I find out!